St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-27
CHANGED INTO A MAN,
The Remarkable MetamorphOsis
of Rosa Fear

Oh ROSA rear.
School Commissioner Charles Fear
lives at Ripley. n. Y. He is we'll edu-
Gated. as indicated by his official posi-
ton, and is a young man, apparently
about thirty years of age, of slight
build, and OF a feminine cut of features.
He is man highly esteemed by his
neighborS and fellOw-citiZenS. and al
though at one time very sensitive touch
ing his peculiar career. he has now
learned TO hear his own story without
taking Offense, for which reason ali the
names and places connected with his
history are given. that they
they may be verified by any who doubt
the accuracy Of this strange tale. says
Providence special to the New York
Journal.
Commissioner Charles Fear was once
the betrothed wife of Herbert Covell.
and was the belle of the little village of
Ripley, \. Y. The following are the
facts of the metamOrphOSiS: Ripley is
a small town near the state line that di-
vides New York and Pennsylvania.
There lived Hon. James W. Baxter.
Near by the Baxter farm was small
farm owned by one Owen Fear. who had
quite a number of young children. One
of these was Rosa, who. after gradual
ing from the grammar school
of the town, went out to serv-
ice and found cOngeHial posi-
ton i'll the family of Mr.. Bax-
ter. In that pleasant home she lived
for some years, and it was while there
she won the love of Herbert Lucius
COvell, now clergyman, and living in
st. Paul, MINI. Farmer Baxter gave
the young man the run of his house,
and when the question had been popped
and Miss Rosa Fear had promised to be-
come Mrs. COYell i'll the spring. he in
sisted that the wedding should take
place at his home. The marriage day
was but four months off when a great
change was observed in Miss Rosa.
She who was the bright and
dull and Respondent. and without
any apparent reason. Her lover
was as faithful and as true as ever, and
her friends were as kind and loving as
of old, but Miss Rosa stunned the SOci-
ETY. which she had previously courted,
and went about her household duties as
though burdened with some great
Trouble. Her strange conduct was no
ticed by visitor of the Baxter home
stead, a surgeon, DR.. 4. A. Freeman,
now lawyer as well as physician, and
chairman of the Erie county Republican
committee. He lives at No. East
Seventh street, Erie, Pa. Miss Fear
was much perturbed over DIR. Free
mans notice of her, and one morn
ing she was missing. Search was
made, but Rosa TOuld not be found
anywhere. All her clothes were left
behind, but the suit of clothes that had
been in DR.. Freeman trunk had been re-
moved. The apparel left behind by the
young woman showed that she had not
taken so much as an apron of her ward
robe, and after waiting some weeks in
the hope that the mystery would be
cleared up, the conviction forced itself
upon the minds of all that Rosa had
eloped with some unknown swain and
had concealed her identity in mans at
tire. People of the village were loath
to cast reproach upon the name of such
an amiable girl, but the stern evidence
of her disgraceful flight and the larceny
of the doctors suit could not be
gainsaid, and before the time came
around when pretty Rosa Fear was to
have been married to LuciuS COvell her
name and shame were held up as warn
ings to other village maidenS inclined TO
fiiTt.
A year passed away. and still nothing
was heard of Rosa Fear. Her parents
were almost brOken-hearted over her
disappearance, and the young man who
was to have married her abandoned his
purpose to set up business for himself
as pump-maker, got religion, and tried
to drown his grief in the study of theOl-
Ogy. He succeeded so well that he was
ordained. married another girl. and is
now the father of four boys. One day,
four years after the disappearance of
Rosa, taStefully attired young man
alIghted from a Lake Shore train
at the Ripley depot, and pro-
ceeded briskly to the old Fear farm.
Knocking at the door, the young
man was asked his business by a young
er sister of Rosa. The stranger smiled.
and inquired if news of Rosa Fear
would be acceptable. The sister almost
pulled the young man into the house,
and warned him in advance that if any
harm had befallen poor Rosa through
his Vaccinations he had better beware
her fathers vengeance. The young man
threw her kiss for answer, and then.
Selling her by the waist, proceeded to
hug her with great familiarity. OF
course. the maiden told him to unhand
her, and. of course. he did nothing of
the kind, for the young fellow was Rosa
herself or himself.
When his identity has been pro
claimed explanations were in order, and
Rosa. or Charles Fear, as she was
henceforth to be known. told remark
able story of physical change which
would better adOrn the columns of a
scientific journal than the columns of a
newspaper. 1t was a story. however.
which was perfectly satisfactory to
medical science, and young Fear. who
had been four years in the Michigan
lumber region, settled down 10 work
on the farm. For time he was
curiosity among those who had
known him as a damsel, but the
novelty wore off and Fear entered into
business partnership with one of the
old admirers and SuitOrS for his hand.
one Elmer Johnson, who had threatened
to drown himself when the news of
R0Sa'S intended marriage was an
nOunced. They got along so well that
he who would have died for Rosa made
a big pile of money, which, by a tricky
transaction, his partner was cut off from
sharing.
Then Charles Fear sought a position
as teacher in the public schools. He
was accepted and finally became prin-
cipal. The town elected him to its
councils. and since then he has Eeen
elected TO sew eral positions of trust.